Table 1 An overview of studies on psychosocial aspects of bronchial asthma in Arab countries published in English from year 1990 to 2014
From: Research on psychosocial aspects of asthma in the Arab world: a literature review
Study | Sample | Parameters | Findings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Abdel Gawwad and El-Herishi 2007 [25] | Saudi Arabia | A random sample of 297 school staff (225 teachers, 50 administrators, and 22 social workers) | Knowledge of and attitudes toward asthma, and asthma management practices | An in-service training program involving pamphlets and demonstration of inhaler use significantly impacted staff knowledge, attitudes, and management practices. |
Abdel Hai et al. 2010 [26] | Egypt | A total of 103 children and adolescents aged between 8 and 16 years | Reliability and validity of an Arab version of Juniper et al.’s Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) | The Arab version of the PAQLQ had high construct and discriminant validity as well as high reliability measured by internal consistency. |
Abudahish and Bella 2006 [27] | Saudi Arabia | A random sample of 61 primary health care (PHC) physicians | PHC physicians’ knowledge of and attitudes toward asthma, and practices in asthma care | PHC physicians’ knowledge of and attitudes toward asthma were low. These physicians’ practices in asthma care were not satisfactory. |
Al-Akour and Khader 2009 [28] | Jordan | A random sample of 326 parents of 7–17 year-old children with asthma | Quality of life (QoL) of parents having children with asthma | Parents’ self-reported QoL was moderate to positive. Parents experienced more limitations in the activities’ domain than in the emotions’ domain. Parents having older children, living in rural areas, and mothers of children with mild asthma reported higher levels of QoL. |
Al-Akour and Khader 2008 [29] | Jordan | A random sample of 200 children (7–17 year-old) with bronchial asthma | QoL as measured by PAQLQ | Children’s QoL was very low, scoring more limitations in the domain of activities than in emotions and symptoms. QoL of younger, female children, living in rural areas were the lowest. |
Al-Binali et al. 2010 [30] | Saudi Arabia | A convenience sample of 171 mothers of children with asthma | Mothers’ knowledge and behaviors concerning asthma using an Arab version of the Chicago Community Asthma Survey (CCAS) | Mothers lacked the necessary knowledge and practices to care for their children with asthma. Complications of bronchial asthma were the least known by mothers. Significant risk factors for poor knowledge and behaviors among mothers were mother’s illiteracy and young age and female sex of the child. |
Albsoul-Younes et al. 2004 [31] | Jordan | A convenience sample of thirty children (ages 6–15 years) with bronchial asthma | Asthma control and QoL as measured by an adapted version of the “Living with Asthma Questionnaire” (LWAQ) | Improved QoL and better control of asthma were reported after the children switched from inhaled corticosteroids to a single inhaler device of Budesonide and/Formoterol. |
Al-Dawood 2002 [32] | Saudi Arabia | Parents of 1482 schoolboys 141 (9.5%) of whom were diagnosed with bronchial asthma | Mean period of school absenteeism | Mean period of school absenteeism among schoolboys with bronchial asthma was 13.6 compared to 3.7 for classmates without bronchial asthma. School absenteeism among children with bronchial asthma was associated with younger age of children, lower socioeconomic status, history of pets at home, presence of a smoker at home, and hospital visit or admission. |
Al-Ghamdy 2000 [33] | Saudi Arabia | A convenience sample of 606 children (under 13 years of age) with bronchial asthma | Socio-clinical profile and impact of bronchial asthma on children’s life style | Asthma’s adverse effects on children were: sleep problems, school absences, and relatively frequent hospitalization. |
AlGewely et al. 2013 [34] | Egypt | A purposefully selected sample of 77 males and 63 females (ages 7–17 years) with bronchial asthma | Level of asthma control and QoL as measured by PAQLQ | QoL was significantly adversely affected by bronchial asthma. Determinants of QoL were: level of asthma control, use of systemic steroids, parental smoking, hospital admission, and difficulties in obtaining drugs. |
Alnasir and Skerman 2004 [35] | Bahrain | A random sample of 1140 schoolteachers | Teachers’ knowledge about bronchial asthma and four other chronic illnesses using a questionnaire | Teachers’ knowledge of bronchial asthma and other chronic illnesses prevailing in local society was deficient. The researchers recommended the implementation of pre-service and in-service training programs for teachers regarding bronchial asthma and other chronic health problems. |
Al-Nsour et al. 2013 [36] | Jordan | A random sample of 3,654 individuals aged 18 years or older selected from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey of the Jordanian population | The association between mental distress, bronchial asthma and three other chronic conditions, and adverse health behaviors | People with bronchial asthma and other chronic health conditions were more likely to have mental distress than people without those health conditions. The researchers called for a concerted effort to strengthen mental health care services for individuals with bronchial asthma and other chronic diseases. |
Al-sheyab et al. 2012(a) [37] | Jordan | A random sample of 261 students (ages 8–18) with bronchial asthma | Health-related QoL, self-efficacy to resist smoking, and knowledge of asthma self-management | The intervention implemented in this study (a peer-led education program) successfully educated their younger peers with bronchial asthma, with significant improvement in the three dependent measures in this study (QoL, self-management, and avoiding smoking). |
Al-Shayeb et al. 2013 [38] | Jordan | A random sample of 72 grade 8–10 students having bronchial asthma who were smokers | Self-efficacy to resist smoking, asthma knowledge, and QoL | A peer-led asthma education program significantly improved adolescents’ self-efficacy to resist smoking, asthma knowledge, and all sub-domains of QoL. |
Al-Sheyab et al. 2012(b) [39] | Jordan | A purposefully selected sample of 34 school girls aged 7–11 years with bronchial asthma | Feasibility and acceptability of an Arabic version of a peer-led asthma education program, and asthma knowledge and awareness | A peer-led asthma education program was found feasible and acceptable in a Jordanian school context. This program resulted in improved knowledge and awareness of asthma. |
Al Zahrani et al. 2014 [40] | Saudi Arabia | A purposefully selected sample of 200 children and adolescents (aged 7–17 years) with bronchial asthma | QoL of children and adolescents with impaired asthma control and controlled asthma using the PAQLQ and Arabic version of the Asthma Control Test | Children and adolescents with controlled asthma had higher QoL scores compared to children and adolescents with impaired asthma control. |
Bener et al. 1994 [41] | United Arab Emirates (UAE) | A convenience sample of 28,447 primary school children aged 6–14 years | School absenteeism resulting from bronchial asthma | The findings confirmed that asthma was a common chronic disease among primary school children in UAE (6.7%), and was a common cause of absenteeism from school (at least one day of school was missed by 62% of boys and 72% of girls). |
Bener et al. 2007 [42] | Qatar | A convenience sample of 31,400 primary school children aged 6 to 12 years | School absenteeism resulting from bronchial asthma | 10.4% children were diagnosed as having asthma and wheezing. Overall 8% of them were absent from the school for at least one day during the year. Most absenteeism occurred during spring and autumn for both boys and girls. |
Benzarti et al. 2003 [43] | Tunisia | A convenience sample of 110 asthmatic patients aged from 18 to 70 years | QoL as measured by an Arabic version of “Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire” | QoL was more affected among women than among men at the environment dimension. QoL was not influenced by age, length of disease or respondents’ educational attainment. Nevertheless, QoL was more affected when asthma was more severe and corticosteroids improved the overall QL. |
Binsaeed et al. 2014 [44] | Saudi Arabia | A convenience sample of 158 children with asthma aged 4-11 years | Asthma control status as measured by the childhood asthma control test | Asthma control improved with the number of siblings, increased asthma knowledge of the caregiver (OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.81-0.93). Uncontrolled asthma increased with low household incomes and sharing a bedroom. |
Elkishishy & Abu Hegazy 2010 [45] | Egypt | A convenience sample of 40 adolescents (aged 13–17 years) with asthma and 40 adolescents without asthma | Psychological stress, psychopathology and life satisfaction | Compared to adolescents without asthma; adolescents with asthma had more depression, psychopathology, distress and life dissatisfaction. |
Fathy et al. 2014 [46] | Egypt | A random sample of 50 patients (mean age 28 years) with asthma and 50 patients without asthma (mean age 33 years) | Differences among patients with asthma and healthy controls in anxiety, depression and neuroticism | Both state and trait anxiety were found to be significantly higher in patients with asthma. However, no significant differences were found among participants with and without asthma in depression or neuroticism scores (hysteria; depression; obsession; and somatic, phobic and free-floating anxiety). |
Hossny et al. 2009 [47] | Egypt | A purposefully selected sample of 422 children with bronchial asthma | Exacerbation of bronchial asthma | Psychological stress was among factors precipitating acute exacerbations of bronchial asthma |
Kamal & Bener 2009 [48] | Qatar | A total of 699 school children who had repeated their grade in the academic years from 2003 to 2008 | Factors associated with school failure | Asthma was the most common chronic disease among students who experienced school failure. |
Kawafha & Tawalbeh 2014 [49] | Jordan | A multi-stage cluster sample of 74 schoolteachers randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group | Knowledge about asthma as measured by the Asthma General Knowledge Questionnaire for Adults (AGKQA) | The asthma education program significantly improved the experimental group’s knowledge of asthma. |
Mansour et al. 2014 [50] | Egypt | A convenience sample of 130 students with bronchial asthma (mean age of 14 years) and a random control group of students without bronchial asthma | Cognitive functioning (assessed through an Arabic version of the Revised Wechsler Intelligence scale for Children (WISC-R), the Auditory Vigilance Test, and the Figural Memory Test) and academic achievement (measured through mid-year test scores in of Arabic and mathematics subjects) | Bronchial asthma had a significant negative impact on academic achievement and cognitive functioning of students with bronchial asthma. |
Panicker et al. 2008 [51] | Kuwait | A sample of 102 patients with asthma and a control group of 102 individuals without asthma aged 20–60 years | Psychological distress in patients with bronchial asthma as measured by the World Health Organization (WHO) - Five Well-Being Index | Patients with asthma were significantly more psychologically distressed than the control group. The level of psychological distress was significantly higher among younger, female patients with shorter duration of asthma. |
Salama et al. 2010 [52] | Egypt | A simple random sample of 352 clinicians (general practitioners and pediatric specialists and consultants) engaged in direct childhood asthma care | Physicians’ knowledge, practices and attitudes toward and adherence to national and international asthma management guidelines assessed by a self-administered questionnaire | Physicians’ had poor knowledge and attitudes. About 25% of the studied physicians were not in agreement with the guidelines claiming that their disagreement was mainly due to patient factors (poor socioeconomic standards and poor patient compliance). |
Samuel et al. 2011 [53] | Egypt | A convenience sample of 23 children with asthma and 23 children without asthma with an age range of 6–15 years | Intellectual functioning and psychosocial adjustment as measured by WISC-R and Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSCL) | Cognitive abilities, psychosocial adjustment and academic achievement were negatively influenced by bronchial asthma. |
Swadi 2001 [54] | UAE | A stratified sample of 81 students with bronchial asthma and 81 students without asthma with an age range of 6–13 years | Behavioral and emotional problems assessed by an Arabic version of Rutter Children Behavior Questionnaire (parents’ and teachers’ versions) | Students with asthma were reported to have significantly higher rates of behavioral and emotional difficulties compared to students without asthma. |
Zaraket et al. 2011 [55] | Lebanon | A convenience sample of 389 parents of children having bronchial asthma aged 3 to 15 years | Parental perceptions and beliefs about childhood asthma and its management | Parents of children with asthma showed fear of social stigma and harbored considerable misperceptions about the disease. It was also found that asthma was an important cause for school absence. |
Zendah et al. 2011 [56] | Tunisia | A convenience sample of 85 adult persons with asthma | QoL as measured by Juniper’s Quality of Life Scale | Factors that negatively affect QOL were: the intellectual level, asthma severity and the absence of treatment adjustment. |